Students at Mountview Elementary School have raised $3,712 for victims of the Fort McMurray fires.
“These kids were so determined and self-motivated,” said Grade 4 teacher Shelly Peel.
“I was absolutely overwhelmed by the students’ sense of compassion and caring.”
Peel and Rilla Warwick co-ordinate a Kids for Causes Club at the school that is funded mostly through the kindness of donations.
“Our Kids for Causes Club promotes the idea that each of us can make a difference in our community, country and world,” Peel said.
The week of the Fort McMurray evacuation, Peel suggested to her students maybe Kids for Causes could do something to help Fort McMurray.
Before she knew it, a dozen students “took the idea and ran with it,” initiating fundraisers on their own.
During a recent visit to Peel’s classroom, the students explained how they’d raised money.
Emma Herrling had a lemonade stand with a very successful tip jar, while Eli Schwaller’s lemonade stand was a success, despite the pouring rain.
Brooke Bennison and her brother, Colby, had a lemonade stand, Peyton Bailey, Isabelle Groundwater and Sienna McCarvill held a car wash and a lemonade stand.
Addyson Cullum and Hanna Chabot made muffins, cookies and drinks to sell, and then Addyson, along with her younger siblings Ashtynn and Maddex did a bottle drive and cleaned campgrounds.
Ty Waterhouse, Aiden Oliveira, Gage Davis, Bowdy Casavant and his cousin Ty Hulley, a Fort McMurray evacuee, hosted an ice tea stand.
Grace Elgert did a bottle drive, Faith Foster made bookmarks to sell and Taylor Brady did odd jobs.
Once her students got the momentum going, the fundraising efforts spilled over and resulted in the whole school being involved.
“It was an example of the best of humanity that we have right here in Williams Lake,” Peel said. “When they do these projects it helps the kids to be role models.”